MegaMan 9: The Lost Chapter
by DragonShadow
Summary: Megaman is overtaken by evil forces unleashed by Doctor Wily, now only Protoman and Alucard can put an end to the scientist and the ultimate evil.


Mega-Man 9: The Lost Chapter  
  
  
1797  
  
He stands on the cliff, watching the castle slowly vanish into the clouds as the evil power which had created it vanishes. The morning sunlight reflecting off of the sea which had been the cursed castles home. The wind whipping through his pure white hair and black cloak with a glowing red inseam.  
  
Alucards face is expressionless as he watches the castle vanish, staring across the sea long after it's gone. He can smell human blood as he hears two pairs of footsteps walking up behind him.  
  
"Alucard?" Maria Renard asks, standing behind him in her green hunting outfit. "Thank you, for everything."  
  
"Yes, the evil is gone. Hopefully, for good this time." Richter Belmont says, standing beside his cousin. "I just can't believe I helped to bring about his resurrection."  
  
"You were possessed." Alucard says, turning to face them both. "But the evil isn't gone..." He looks down at his hand, clenching his fist. "As long as evil resides in the hearts of man, he will exist."  
  
Richter nods in understanding. "Maybe we'll learn that lesson someday."  
  
"What will you do now?" Maria asks.  
  
"'Tis cursed blood that runs through my veins, 'twould be best if it were removed from this world." Alucard says, letting his hand drop to his side.   
  
Maria looks stunned, but Richter just nods again. "Good luck."  
  
"Farewell Belmont." Alucard says, then turns and walks past them, away from the cliff edge overlooking the sea. Going to where his tainted blood would not infect the human world.  
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20XX  
  
Miranda Belmont sits on the front porch of her house, looking up at the blue sky. Her shimmering blue body suit reflecting the sunlight prettily. She liked her life, as did everyone she knew. There had been no wars or anything since a good long time ago. Almost everything was automated so she had to do hardly anything anymore. But one thing still haunts her to this day, her heritage.  
  
From the birth of Dracula Vlad Tepes her family had been watchers, making sure his brand of evil were never allowed back into this world. But again and again he returned until finally her ancestor, Richter Belmont, had killed him for good. But even THAT hadn't stopped the evil, he'd come back five years later at the bidding of a human.  
  
It scared her to no end to think Dracula might return within her lifetime, or ever for that matter. That some other human would get the notion to revive him into his head. She knew if she told anyone she'd sound insane, because the concept of sorcery and dark power was deemed ludicrous in this highly mechanized age.  
  
She looks back at the door as her friend Mary walks out and joins her on the porch, her chest heaving slightly. They'd been working out all morning and had just stopped to take a break.  
  
"Aren't you tired?" Mary asks, looking at her incredulously.  
  
"Of course." She replies, not really meaning it. She'd worked out far longer and harder than that before, and she did it almost regularly, just in case...  
  
"Well I'm pooped... What's the matter with you? You look troubled."  
  
"Ah it's nothing, don't worry about it." "She says, looking up at the sky again.  
  
Mary shrugs a bit and drinks some of the bottled water she'd brought out with her. "Well come on, don't look so glum over nothing, let's just get some showers and hit the mall." She says, grinning.  
  
Miranda smiles back slightly. "Sure, you go ahead and take one first." She watches as Mary goes inside to get her shower. She really was right, there was no use worrying about it. There were no insane psychopaths in this day and age, nobody would dream of awakening Dracula from his eternal slumber.  
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Doctor Wily stomps into his hidden laboratory, fuming. The eighth time that little blue thorn has ruined his plans. No matter how many robots he built, no matter how powerful they were, he could still beat them all. And lately, he'd been getting more and more ferocious. Wily knew if Mega-Man ever caught him again, he wouldn't hesitate to kill him on the spot.  
  
This dancing around the bushes was getting him nowhere, he needed to destroy Mega-Man before he could think of holding the city hostage. But HOW? He'd tried every design every wiring and defense plan in his brain and he still couldn't do it. SOMETHING had to phase the little pest. Something he never dreamed of using before...  
  
Wily walks over to the bookshelf on the far wall and sweeps his arms along it, throwing the books to the floor. This was almost a ritual for him by now, after so many defeats. He then walks over to the chair and slumps into it, looking down at the pile of books for any clues to Mega-Man's demise.  
  
An old book catches his eye, the leather it was bound in was old and wrinkled. One of Wily's personal collection he kept for the sake of entertainment when he needed a good laugh. It was a book of legends and spells, things that would make and sane human being laugh.  
  
He wasn't feeling all too jolly at the moment however, so he simply walks over and picks it up, intending to throw the ridiculous old thing in the trash, but a certain page catches his attention. It was a page near the middle of the book with the words "Legend of Castlevania" written across the top. Mesmerized for some reason beyond him, he continues reading.  
  
"The legend of this mythical castle dates back as far as 1500 AD. It's said to appear only every 500 years to wreak its evil upon the land along with its master, Dracula Vlad Tepes. This is a popular legend among people who like gothic settings and all things spiritual. Accompanying this legend is the tale of the family of guardians who keep an eternal vigilance over the planet to make sure that if the castle should reappear once again, it would be stopped before it corrupted the world."  
  
Corrupted the world? Such power would do him good... If such fairy tales could be believed that is. But of course, it was nothing but rubbish meant to impress the weak minded with visions of magic and fantasy.  
  
He's about to place the book back on the shelf when a small slit of old-style parchment falls out of it, landing on the floor. He bends down and picks it up curiously. It was covered mostly by what looked like a map with some text at the bottom.  
  
"The castle is where darkness lies. Hidden under blood red skies. Find the place of the masters rest. To then face the ultimate test."  
  
Ridiculous... He had to keep reminding himself it was all a bunch of rubbish, but what did he really have to lose? Nothing. And he had the whole world to gain.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Rock lies on the couch comfortably, watching Roll playing with Rush on the carpet. The dog nipping playfully at her dress as she chuckles and struggles to pull it away from him.  
  
"Come on, give up!" She yanks as hard as she can, pulling rush along the carpet a bit before he regains his footing and pulls back, the fabric clamped firmly between his jaws.  
  
"Better be careful not to rip that dress Roll." Rock says, smiling a bit at them.  
  
"Ah it won't rip." She replies, yanking again. Rush shakes his head to the sides, jerking her violently off her feet. She loses her balance and falls to the floor hard. "Yowch! Rush!"  
  
Rock laughs. "Shouldn't underestimate him."  
  
"Stupid dog." She kicks him lightly in the nose, rubbing her butt tenderly. Rush whimpers softly and lowers his head, walking over to Rock, who pets him reassuringly.  
  
"Don't worry about it boy. She's just upset that you beat her."  
  
"Am not!" She yells before a voice comes over the intercom.  
  
"Rock, please report to the main laboratory immediately." Rock looks up in surprise, then immediately gets up off the couch and heads for the door, Roll and Rush following behind him.   
  
In the laboratory the find Doctor Light waiting for them.  
  
"Ah Rock." He smiles at them warmly. "The satellites have picked up something... Something you might want to investigate."  
  
"Wily." Rock says, his face hardening immediately.  
  
"Yes, we located his ship traveling at a fast pace across the land."  
  
"Must be in a big hurry if he's willing to be detected." Rock muses to himself.  
  
"My thoughts exactly."  
  
"I'm going after him Doctor Light."  
  
"I thought you might." Doctor Light holds out Rocks helmet to him, Rock promptly puts it on.  
  
"And this time, he's not getting away." Rock says, determinedly as he puts his helmet on. "Come on Rush!" Rush barks and leaps into the air, transforming immediately. Mega-Man leaps on his back and they fly through the hallways, dodging through rooms and people. They finally streak outside and take off into the sky, heading for Wily's signal.  
  
Mega-Man looks down at the land passing beneath them calmly, he knew Rush wouldn't drop him. After so long he was finally going to put an end to Wily. No more robots, no more destruction.   
  
He looks idly over to where the sun is going behind the mountains in the distance, it would be dark soon. All the better, while he could see in darkness, Wily could not. Finally they reach a cave just outside of the city in the middle of a forest, Wily's empty hover ship is just outside the entrance.  
  
"What do you think boy? Should we go in?" Mega-Man asks, looking down at Rush. He gets a steadfast bark in response. "Yeah, let's go." He leaps off Rush's back, landing easily on the ground. Rush transforms and lands nimbly beside him, following him into the cave.   
  
Mega-Man enters cautiously, his hand drawn into his cannon already. He studies the cave carefully. From deep inside the cave he can hear an almost rhythmic mumbling. The sound so slight he could only hear it from the echo of the cave and his own enhanced hearing.   
  
He goes farther, cautiously. The mumbling growing steadily in volume as he approaches, guiding him in the right direction like a beacon. By now he could easily recognize the voice as Doctor Wilys. Though just what he was mumbling Mega-Man still couldn't quite pick out.  
  
Finally he finds the entrance to another cave, Wily's voice coming from just inside. He leaps in the entrance, bringing his cannon to bear. "Freeze!" He shouts just before everything goes black to him. "What!?" He exclaims in surprise, looking around desperately.  
  
He hears Doctor Wily's maniacal laugh from somewhere ahead of him. "Yes, YES! It's working!"  
  
"Just... give up right now Wily!" Mega-Man says, trying to find out what's wrong with his optical systems, everything seemed to be in working order to his internal scans.  
  
"A nuisance..." Another crackling voice that Mega-Man didn't recognize sounds through the room. Suddenly he feels a giant surge of electricity rip through him.   
  
"AAAARRRRGH!" He screams, falling to the floor in pain and because the surge was making his systems go haywire.  
  
"Wait. Don't kill him." Mega-Man hears Wily say just before all of his systems go down and he blacks out.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
A surge... Evil power was awakening in the world. He could feel it, the dark power had been reborn. His father had awakened again. How? It didn't matter, he couldn't let him exist in this world. He could NEVER let him exist.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Miranda walks out of the house with her friend, on their way to the mall when a chill runs down her spine. It had been a bright and warm day, and it wasn't yet that cold, even with the sun going down. Something was wrong...  
  
"Is something wrong?" Mary asks, stopping to turn to her.  
  
"It's... Nothing..." She says thoughtfully, trying to gather herself. "Let's just..." She stops again, looking toward the slowly sinking sun. Something definitely wasn't right, she could feel it in her bones. Something dark was awakening... She didn't know how she knew, but she knew without a doubt. He was back...  
  
"Miranda, you're really starting to creep me out here." Mary says, looking at her worriedly. Getting no response, she turns to look where her friend is looking. Towering above the city itself is a main central spire made of dark stones. It was all that was visible of what she knew was the cursed castle. "Where did that come from?"  
  
"I have to go..." Miranda says, turning back to her house.  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"I have things to take care of." She says, going into her house. She quickly heads into her room, opening up an old chest. She reaches in and takes out first a white headband that had belonged to Richter, the greatest vampire hunter of all. She puts it on and reaches in again, pulling out a brown leather whip. The legendary whip passed down through generations of Belmonts. "I hoped I'd never have to use you..." She says quietly to it before turning and leaving the house, heading for the castle.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Proto-Man stands on the top of a building just beside the strange castle that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, his yellow scarf fluttering behind him on the wind. First Mega-Man chases after Wily with Rush, and neither of them return. Then this appears here in less than a second. Couldn't be a coincidence.   
  
He leaps off the building, landing just in front of the gate that leads to the castle courtyard. The gates were rusted but still served their purpose. He approaches the gates, but a voice from behind halts him.  
  
"Wait!" He turns to see a young girl running up to him, holding a whip in her hands. "Don't go in their! That place is a place of evil."  
  
"I have to go in there." He says simply, crossing his arms across his chest irritably. "Who are you to tell me not to?"  
  
"My name is Miranda Belmont." She says, as if it should mean something to him.  
  
"I'm..." Proto-Man begins.  
  
"Proto-Man. I know. Nobody in this town doesn't know you, or your brother."  
  
"Well you stay out here while I check it out lady." He says. The last thing he needed was a young girl wandering about a potentially dangerous place.  
  
She just frowns at him and crosses her own arms across his chest. "I have to go in there. It's my responsibility."  
  
Proto-Man finally gives up and sighs, shrugging. "Fine, do what you want, just don't say I didn't warn you." He says, turning and raising his cannon to blast the castle gates wide open. He heads through the gates into the courtyard, Miranda following behind him.  
  
It was a quiet enough place, if not exactly cheerful. The fence surrounding the courtyard was overgrown with vines and weeds, the path they walked along almost completely obscured by the rampant plant life. Not a pretty sight, but it seemed harmless enough to him.  
  
Suddenly a hand pokes up from the soft earth, grabbing Proto-Man's ankle. "What the!?!" He exclaims, looking down in surprise. A rotted heads pokes up from the earth after it, leaning toward Proto-Mans foot. It bites him, but only succeeds in cracking a few teeth on the hard titanium shell. "Weird..." He says, more curious than scared of the thing.  
  
Behind him however he hears Miranda's whip cracking almost frantically, accompanied by her harried shouts. He irritably blows the head off the zombie clinging to his foot and turns to see Miranda fighting off about a dozen more, already fully above ground.  
  
"I'll handle this." He says, pushing her to the side and stepping up, raising his cannon. He fires on one zombie, blowing its arm clean off, but it still keeps coming. He fires at it again, along with others, blowing limbs and chunks of flesh off of each one, but they still keep coming. "Damn, these guys don't know when to fall down!"  
  
Miranda swings her whip savagely, the thin cord connecting with a zombies neck, severing it. The zombies head rolls to the ground as its body falls over limply. "Aim for the head." She says, demonstrating again.  
  
They both attack the zombies furiously, blowing and severing heads left and right until one manages to get up behind Miranda, grabbing her from behind. "Ack!" She yells, trying desperately to pull it off as it lowers its head to her neck.  
  
Proto-Man whirls and fires one shot. It flies right by Miranda's head, taking the zombies head clean off. She exclaims in surprise at first, but then realizes he hadn't been aiming for her.  
  
"Be more careful next time." He says, heading toward the castle again. She smirks and stamps one foot before following behind him.  
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A bat flies through the air, alone in the light of the full moon. It's wings flapping smoothly and rapidly, speeding along towards its destination. Finally it reaches the cursed castle and lands just outside the main courtyard gates, where it re-shapes itself, taking the form of Alucard.  
  
He approaches the gates and goes in without hesitation, looking around. There were burn marks and zombie bodies lying everywhere, someone had entered before him. So, the Belmont clan still continued, even now. He smirks a bit, some things never change. He simply follows the trail of zombie bodies right up to the front gate, entering confidently.   
  
Once inside he looks around him cautiously, there was nothing threatening to be seen, but that only made him all the more cautious. Inside he found two doors leading to different sections of the castle. There was no way for him to know which door the Belmont had used, so he just picked the left one randomly and went through.   
  
On the other side was a huge hallway without a concrete floor. The ground continued on through the castle as though he were still outside. He didn't remember this from his last trip to this castle, but then again, this castle always changed.   
  
He continues down the hall nonchalantly, not expecting to make it through without a fight. Indeed, he was not disappointed. Halfway through a pair of skeletons rise from the earth, both had wings on their back and swords in their hands.  
  
Alucard pulls his own sword, pointing it at the skeletons. "Are you all your master has in store for me?"  
  
"No." Alucard hears a familiar cackling voice behind him. He whirls just in time to see the blade of a scythe streaking toward him. It slices into his torso, sending him stumbling backward away from it, holding his chest and grunting a bit in pain.  
  
Death floats in front of him, his deep purple robe rippling through the air as though it were water, his skeletal face staring at him mockingly. "Alucard, how nice of you to visit."  
  
"Did you not learn your lesson last time?" Alucard says, forcing himself to stand straight, not showing how pained his wound felt.  
  
"You will not get away with opposing master Dracula, traitor." He says, staring at him mockingly.  
  
"Very well then. Fight me soulless monster." He raises his sword again, then twirls, his blade slicing cleanly through the neck bones of both winged skeletons, who had been trying to sneak up on him. They both collapse to the ground, bursting into flames.  
  
"Very well done Alucard. You will serve your father well."  
  
"I will never serve him." Alucard states simply.  
  
"Who said you had a choice?" Death asks, raising one hand. A bolt of dark energy flies from it, seeping into his wound.  
  
"Uhn..." Alucard stumbles, his hand over the wound on his chest. "I will never... Serve that evil creature..." He says weakly, sinking to his knees.  
  
"You will." Death says simply, closing his fist. Alucard feels himself lose consciousness quickly, everything going dark around him.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Proto-Man watches the minotaur fall to the ground lifelessly. It's arms twitching a bit before finally going still, the burnt section of its chest smoking slightly.   
  
"Well so far so good." Miranda says, stepping over the body to get over to where Proto-Man is standing.  
  
"You okay?" He asks simply.  
  
She smirks somewhat. "I'm fine. You just worry about yourself buddy." She turns away from him and heads for the door opposite the one they'd come in from. Proto-Man follows behind her, smirking. She goes in the next room and looks around nonchalantly, proceeding further in without a thought.  
  
"You'd better be careful girl." He says following her through.  
  
"Ah we can handle anything that they throw at us." She says casually. Proto-Man suddenly hears a slight whirring noise, as though energy were being stored. Audible only to his hyper sensitive ears.  
  
"Look out!" He says diving for her. He shoves her out of the way with one hand bringing his shield to bear with the other. The blast slams into it, throwing Proto-Man back against the wall, which cracks slightly.  
  
"Mega-Man!?" He moves his shield from the front of his face and sees Mega-Man standing on a balcony looking down at him, his armor painted black with gray arms, legs and chest. Rush is right beside him, painted similarly, his eyes glowing a faintly reddish color.  
  
Mega-Man leaps off the balcony, landing easily on the floor, Rush right beside him. "What are you doing here BROTHER?" He says, looking at Proto-Man disdainfully.  
  
"Looking for you..." Proto-Man says doubtfully, pushing himself away from the wall. "What happened to you?"  
  
Mega-Man smirks and bends his knees a bit, getting ready to fight. "Come on Proto-Man, time to have the truth finally be known. Who's stronger, the flawed prototype, or the finished product?"  
  
Proto-Man stares at him a minute, then gets into a fighting position himself. He hears Miranda getting beside him, brandishing her whip. He turns to look at her slightly. "Stay out of this."  
  
"What? But..." She begins.  
  
"Stay out of it." He says gravely. She looks at the both confusedly, then slowly moves to the side. He turns toward Mega-Man again, who's staring back gravely.  
  
They both lunge at the same time, fists flying and both of them dodging. For a long time neither of them gets the upper hand, both fighting to the best of their abilities. Proto-Man blocks one punch with his shield and deflects it, getting inside his punch and landing a left hook on Mega-Mans jaw, sending him stumbling back.  
  
Mega-Man whirls in a flying kick which Proto-Man dodges, but when he comes back around Mega-Man brings his cannon to bear, which is already whirring with power. The blast flies at Proto-Man, who barely manages to get his shield up in time to block it. He's thrown backward again, the blast tearing his shield into pieces and slamming Proto-Man himself into the wall.  
  
They face each other again, Proto-Man shoving himself off of the wall, getting ready to fight again. They lunge again, dodging each other suddenly and leap into the air back at each other, both of them bringing their cannons to bear. For a moment time seemed suspended, both robots cannons each aimed at the other.   
  
Proto-Man fires first, the shot tearing into Mega-Man's chest and sending him against the wall, sparks flying from his body. Proto-Man lands on the ground and walks slowly over to him, looking down at him wearily.  
  
"Huh..." Mega-Man says, looking up at him weakly, one corner of his mouth bent up in a small smile. "And to think... I'm the one Wily... Always hated..." He stutters a bit, his chest sparking.  
  
"Hold on Mega-Man. I'll get you to doctor Lights." Proto-Man says, kneeling down beside him.  
  
Mega-Man groans and shifts slightly. "No... I'll be fine... You go stop Wily... He's planning to take over the... World with some... Power."  
  
"What power?" Proto-Man asks confused.  
  
"Dracula." Miranda says, walking up behind him. Rush approaches Mega-Man and licks his hand, whimpering worriedly.  
  
"I'm okay boy..." Mega-Man says, raising one hand and petting Rush comfortingly. He then turns back to Proto-Man. "I'll be fine here, go and stop Wily!" He says, leaning against the wall heavily, sparks flying from his chest.  
  
Proto-Man stares at him for a minute, then finally nods. "Okay. Don't worry. I'll take care of it." Mega-Man nods back solemnly before Proto-Mans turns away, heading for the door on the other side of the room. Miranda follows him out the door.  
  
They wind up on the roof of the castle, the city stretched before them on all sides. People had begun to gather around the castle, staring curiously at this building that had appeared in the blink of an eye. Silently they continue across the roof.  
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Mega-Man lies against the wall, staring after them for a long time. The charge caused by Proto-Mans cannon had knocked the chip that had been controlling him out of commission. He could feel several of his internal systems already shut down, he couldn't smell anything anymore and his eyesight was blurred.   
  
Rush gently prods at his hands worriedly with his nose, whimpering. "I told you I'll be fine boy..." Mega-Man says, raising one weak hand to pet him again. "Why don't you go with Proto-Man? You can help him." Rush barks at him defiantly. "He needs you now boy. I'll be fine here."  
  
"Are you sure of that?" He hears a familiar crackling voice coming from somewhere in the room, but can't identify the source. He pushes himself to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall.  
  
"Who are you? Show yourself."  
  
A figure wearing a deep purple cloak materializes in front of him, seeming to float about a foot off the ground. The hand holding the scythe at his side is that of a skeleton, as is the face inside the deep hood. "You disappoint me robot. I thought the humans had finally made something worthwhile. I guess not."  
  
"What are you?"  
  
"I am the guardian of the underworld. And I'm afraid little robot, your time has come." Rush snarls ferociously, leaping at Death.  
  
"Wait Rush!" Mega-Man yells too late. Death makes one mighty swing of his scythe. The blade slices Rush clean in half at the stomach. The two pieces fall to the ground with heavy metallic thuds. "RUSH!"  
  
"Your turn little robot." Death says, bringing his scythe to bear.  
  
"I'm... not... a... ROBOT!" Mega-Man shouts, his anger growing by the second. He lunges forward, leaping over Deaths swing and kicking him square in the head, whirling to plant another kick to his chest, sending him back a bit. Mega-Man lands on his feet, quickly firing one shot at Death.  
  
Death quickly swings his scythe, dissipating the shot before it reaches him. "Yes, come and fight me robot." He lunges at Mega-Man again, swinging his scythe in a wide arc, but Mega-Man leaps straight into the air, his cannon whirring with stored up power.   
  
"Die monster!" He aims and fires, the force of the shot pushing him back in the air. The shot blasts a pillar into rubble, but Death is nowhere to be seen as Mega-Man lands on the ground again. "Where are you!?" He yells furiously, looking around him cautiously, the sparks literally flying from his chest.  
  
Suddenly he gasps as he feels a sharp pain in his back and a metal blade sticks out of his chest, wiring and metal sticking out along with it. He grips the blade in shock and turns his head to see Death right behind him, the blade of the scythe stuck into his back.  
  
"I'll meet you in hell robot." He says as he jerks the scythe upward, lifting Mega-Man off the ground, who howls in pain. He jerks his scythe forward, flinging Mega-Man off the blade like a rag doll. He slams into the wall and collapses to the ground, his systems going crazy.   
  
"I..." Mega-Man manages to gasp out before his systems power down again, this time, for good.  
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Proto-Man walks along the staircase leading to the tallest spire of the tower, Miranda walking ahead of him. They were close, they had only to get to the top. They're about halfway up when a figure materializes in front of them.  
  
"Death!" Miranda exclaims, unleashing her whip instantly.  
  
"Today has just been full of intruders." Death says musingly. "The traitor, a robot, and a Belmont."  
  
"Traitor?" Miranda says curiously. "Alucard is here!?"  
  
"He's in the central spire with the man who will bring about Master Dracula's return." Death says simply before turning to Proto-Man. "Oh yes, and this belongs to you." He pulls something out of his robe. A robotic head with pure black hair and brown eyes, the wires sticking out of the neck sending off a little spark.  
  
"Mega-Man!" Proto-Man yells in horror.  
  
"A feisty little thing." Death says, dropping the head casually to one stone step. It clangs onto the stone and rolls down the stairs past Miranda, but Proto-Man quickly grabs it before it gets past him.  
  
"Prepare to meet your end!" Miranda says, snapping her whip expertly.  
  
"Try your luck Belmont." Death says, vanishing into thin air.  
  
Miranda looks about her cautiously, taking a few steps up to where he had been. Suddenly she senses him reappearing behind her, so she whirls, lashing out with her whip, catching him in the chest with it.  
  
Death lunges backward away from her, one skeletal hand on his chest. "Very good Belmont. You learned well, but you're nothing compared to your ancestors. You're soft, afraid." He floats toward her and lashes out with his scythe, but she dodges back, nearly jumping off the stairway as she strikes with her whip again, striking him.  
  
"I'm not afraid." She says a bit shakily before she lashes again, but this time Death catches her whip in one hand pulling it toward him. She holds on, refusing to let go, getting pulled in along with it.  
  
"You're very afraid, afraid you'll lose, afraid you'll die." He brings his scythe forward as he hauls her in farther. Suddenly a blast strikes Deaths scythe from the side, blowing it out of his hands. It flies up the stairs a ways, embedding itself into one stone step.   
  
Death whirls on Proto-Man who has already fired another blast. It strikes him full on the chest, with no impact. "Foolish robot. A mortal weapon cannot hurt me."  
  
"Well how about this one?" Miranda says, throwing a glass bottle at his face. He turns just in time to watch it slam into his face, exploding into a shower of blue flames.  
  
Death screams hideously, clawing at his face as the flames spread along his body, engulfing him totally. Miranda and Proto-Man move away from him as he lashes about, trying to put out the flames. Finally he vanishes into the air, the fire and smoke eventually dying out behind him.  
  
"What was that stuff?" Proto-Man asks.  
  
"Holy water." Miranda replies, winking at him. "Come on, we have to hurry." She says, looking up at the full moon, almost directly overhead.  
  
"Right." Proto-Man says, heading up the steps, carrying Mega-Man's severed head with him.  
  
"Why are you taking that thing? I know he was your brother and all, but why would you want his head?"  
  
"There's a chance Doctor Light can rebuild him, I'm not gonna let him be dead without a fight." He replies, not stopping on his journey up the steps. She stares after him a few moments silently before following behind him.  
  
At the top of the steps they walks inside the chamber, instantly spotting the lone figure standing in the middle of the room facing them. Alucard watches them as though not really seeing them, his eyes vacant.  
  
"Alucard..." Miranda says with a mixture of awe and amazement.  
  
"Who's he?" Proto-Mans asks.  
  
"He's the son of Count Dracula, half human and half vampire. He's helped my family many times in the past."  
  
"Doesn't look too friendly now." He notes, bending down and carefully placing Mega-Man's head on the floor.  
  
"You will proceed no father." Alucard says, almost robotically.  
  
"Your father must have you under his power somehow." Miranda says, getting out her whip. "I don't want to fight you, but I will if you make me."  
  
Alucard lunges at her, whipping his sword out with one fluid motion and slashing at her. She dodges to the side, bringing her whip about to lash out at him, but he raises his sword and the whip wraps around it. Quickly he spins around, dragging her forward and back kicking her in the stomach quickly.   
  
Proto-Man lunges forward to help, unable to use his cannon for fear of hitting Miranda. But Alucard blocks his punch with one hand and grabs his arm, bringing his sword around and slicing his right arm clean off. Proto-Man gasps in pain and lunges backward away from him as his arm sparks furiously where it was severed.   
  
Miranda takes advantage of Alucards distraction to lash at him, the whip biting deep into his back. He whirls and strikes at her again, slamming the hilt of his sword into her face, sending her spinning to the ground.  
  
Proto-Man raises his cannon and fires at him with Miranda out of the way. It slams into Alucards back, sending him to the floor. He quickly leaps to his feet and turns to face him. Alucard lunges at him again, leaping into the air above Proto-Mans blast and slashing at his chest, cutting deep. Proto-Man stumbles back, clutching his chest.  
  
Miranda leaps at Alucards back, putting her whip firmly around his throat before he can strike back. He looks about to do something, but Proto-Man presses his cannon against his cheek and he stops struggling.   
  
"Well now." Miranda says, holding onto him. "Let's see..." She holds onto the whip tightly with one hand, the other getting out a small vial similar to the one from before. "I don't know if holy water would hurt him naturally being a half vampire, but it does break evil curses... Let's hope it doesn't kill him." She tips it over and pours the bottle on his head.  
  
Alucards face contorts in pain, but he takes it silently. Finally he relaxes in their grasp, opening his eyes and looking at them. "You've... Saved me." They release him and he turns to face them both, bruised and battered. "My apologies. I let Death get the drop on me."  
  
"No problem." Miranda says, staring at him amazedly. "You're an incredible fighter."  
  
He turns to look at her more closely. "And you're a Belmont. No wonder you were able to defeat me." He turns to Proto-Man now. "And you... Have no scent?"  
  
"If we're through, we're kind of pressed for time here." Proto-Man says, his missing arm and wounded chest sparking majorly.  
  
"Yes, we still have to prevent Dracula from coming back." Miranda says.  
  
Alucards face hardens immediately into a cold mask. "Let us hurry." He says, turning and heading for the inner chamber of the tower, the other two following.  
  
Inside the inner chamber they see Dracula's throne sitting at the top of a flight of steps, Wily is standing behind it, reading from a book.  
  
"Wily!" Proto-Man yells. Stepping ahead of the other two. "Come with me quietly! NOW!"  
  
Wily looks up at them and smirks, continuing his soft, almost incoherent mumblings.  
  
Alucard speaks up from behind him. "The dark energy is growing, we have to stop him now." Proto-Man lifts his cannon quickly and fires at Wily. The blast flies at him rapidly, but vanishes when it gets within a foot of him.  
  
"What the!?" Proto-Man exclaims.  
  
"We're too late." Alucard says, looking up at the skylight above. The full moon is directly above their heads. The light of the moon shines into the chamber brightly, lighting it up as though it were day, then suddenly everything goes black.  
  
"Wh... What's happening!?" Miranda yells fearfully.  
  
"He's awakening." Alucard says simply. Wily's maniacal laughter echoes through the darkness as a single speck of light appears in the blackness.  
  
"Ah... Alucard. How good of you to come." A deep voice resonates through the darkness, shaking them all to their very souls.  
  
"I wish I could say the same father." He says the last word spitefully.  
  
"Come now, show your old man the respect he deserves." In a flash the light returns to reveal a black caped man sitting on the throne, staring down at him. Wily still at his side.  
  
"You're a soulless murderer. You deserve my pity, not my respect."  
  
"Well it matters not. This world will TREMBLE!" He stands up off his throne.  
  
"Wait!" Wily says, leaping in front of him. "You're supposed to help me gain control! I can make you a very good proposition." Wily grins evilly.  
  
Dracula just grabs him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. "A miserable little man? Help me?" He laughs an evil, satanic laugh that shakes Wily to his very being. "You know nothing little fool." His hand glows with a dark light that encompasses Wily.  
  
Wily screams in pain as Dracula drops him to the steps, watching him slide down them until he hits the floor, still glowing with dark light. He begins changing form, his arms growing larger and his face growing gaunt, lifeless. His skin stretches taught over bones that seem to be reshaping themselves.   
  
His arms double in length, the bones reshaping so that one blade like bone protrudes from the back of each hand. His head re-shapes into a hideous skull-like impression of its former self, losing all of its hair. His legs become shorter, more pointed at the joints as the bones become more solid. His eyes glow with a dark light that makes them seem more like empty sockets.  
  
"There is no need for me to be here. Goodbye, son." He smirks as a light surrounds him and he vanishes.  
  
"Wait!" Alucard yells, leaping into the air and changing into bat form so he can pursue Dracula through the skylight.  
  
"Great, what do WE do?" Miranda asks, backing slowly away from Wily, who is advancing on them.  
  
"Take him out." Proto-Man says, raising his arm cannon. He fires several times, but Wily takes a might leaps over them and slashes at Proto-Man, who ducks out of the way at the last second.  
  
Miranda lashes out at Wily with her whip, striking him in the side, but the bones in his side don't allow it to penetrate very deep. Wily whirls on her, one huge arm slamming into her and throwing her to the floor away from him.  
  
Proto-Man fires again, this time striking him full on the side with three blasts, knocking him to the floor, but he instantly gets up again and lunges at him, both arms sweeping in wide circles. He catches Proto-Man in the side with one bone blade, drawing him in closer.  
  
Proto-Man yells in pain as Wily drives one blade through his stomach, impaling him straight through. He then slashes at his left side with the other, cutting deeply.   
  
"Proto-Man!" Miranda yells, watching in horror as Wily throws him to the ground and leaps on top of him, driving one bone claw straight through his visor, shattering it and impaling his head into the floor. Proto-Mans bright blue eyes shining through for only a moment before the power to his systems cuts off and he goes limp on the ground, his eyes closing.  
  
"You monster!" She yells leaping onto Wily's back. She furiously wraps the thin part of her whip around his neck, yanking it as tightly as she can. Wily howls in rage and slashes at her with his claws, slowly running out of energy as her whip cuts deep, drawing blood from his throat.  
  
Finally he falls onto the floor, grasping at her weakly, but she holds it until long after he'd stopped moving. She then gets up off of him wearily and walks over to Proto-Man's body lying on the ground.   
  
She sighs deeply and leans down beside him, making a cross along his chest in typical fashion. "Sleep well. You earned it."  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Alucard stands on the sloping roof of the castle, facing his father head on. The full moon overhead and ferocious winds whipping their capes and hair to the sides as they each study the other.  
  
"It's time to end this. This is the last time." Alucard says, drawing his sword slowly.  
  
"Yes." Dracula says, staring at him. "It will be. One way or the other, it all ends tonight."  
  
"Let us finish it then."  
  
"Indeed." Dracula says, thrusting one hand outward. A fireball flies at Alucard, but he leaps over it, flying at his father. He slashes downward, but Dracula catches the blade in one hand, holding it away from him. They both face each other down for a few minutes before Alucard finally kicks out at him, landing a mostly ineffective blow to his stomach.  
  
Dracula grabs his jacket and throws him backwards, nearly flinging him right off the roof. Alucard quickly rights himself and resumes a fighting stance, his father getting ready as well. Alucard lunges again, this time whirling for a more powerful slash.   
  
Dracula ducks out of the way really quickly, then lunges at his son, grabbing him by the cape and pants, lifting him above his head into the air. He walks over to the edge getting ready to throw him off the top of the spire.  
  
Alucard quickly turns his sword around and jams it into his back, surprising him enough to make him let go. Alucard lands in his feet, yanking his sword out and slashing again, slicing deep into his fathers side.  
  
Dracula turns, grabbing the sword and heaving it off the roof in one single motion. He lifts his cloak and three fireballs fly at Alucard all at once.  
  
Alucard does the same. The fireballs collide in the middle, setting off a huge explosion of power, blowing both of them off the roof. Alucard quickly transforms into mist and floats back up to the roof, but Dracula's nowhere to be found. He looks over the other side and sees him lying on the ground far below, weakened more than he'd let on by Alucards sword, he'd been unable to transform.  
  
Alucard resumes mist form and floats down after him, reverting back into his natural form when he reaches him.  
  
"So... This is how it ends..." Dracula says, lying there defeated.  
  
"This is the price you pay for your dark deeds. I hope you learn your lesson in hell this time."   
  
Dracula gasps a bit as his body ignites itself, too fragile to remain existent without his soul to accompany it. He vanishes on the ground, leaving a scorch mark where he'd lay. Alucard calmly turns and leaves the castle as it starts crumbling behind him.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Miranda looks around confusedly as the castle starts trembling around her. She quickly gets to her feet, looking down at Proto-Man one last time before bolting from the room. She runs through the next room until she finds Mega-Mans head lying on the ground where Proto-Man had put it.  
  
She stops long enough to pick it up, then continues on her way, finding herself on the stairwell leading to the central spire. It was already beginning to crumble at the lower end, there was no way for her to make it in time.   
  
She looks around frantically for another way out, spotting a tall tree a ways down in the courtyard. She takes a running leap off of the stairs, flying through the air as the stair she'd been on collapses. She flies down through the air and snaps out her whip, catching one of the thick bottom branches with it. She swings over the outer fence and lands in the middle of the street, rolling along the ground for a bit until she can stop herself.   
  
She gets painfully to her feet and looks back where the castle had been. Already it was gone, leaving no evidence that anything unusual had happened. She looks down at the head in her hands, a grim reminder that it had happened. Finally she turns and walks away from it all, just wanting to get home and take a shower, but first, she had a last wish to fulfill.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Doctor Light is sitting with Roll in the main room, both of them worried senseless. Mega-Man had been missing for far longer than either of them cared to think about. Suddenly they hear a knock at the door and Doctor Light goes to answer it.  
  
A young girl is standing on the other side, her hands behind her back. "Are you Doctor Light?"  
  
"Yes I am." He says confusedly.  
  
"Er..." She hesitates, unsure about something. "I think this should go to you." She brings her hands out from behind her back, holding Rock's head.  
  
Doctor Light just stares open mouthed for a few minutes, then gulps and finally forces himself to speak. "How... Did it... Happen?" She tells him everything that had happened. "I see... His worst fear came true... He was reprogrammed...  
  
"It looks that way." She said, handing him the head.  
  
"Thank you for bringing him back. I will see if I can rebuild him." He takes it gently and heads back inside, closing the door behind him. He barely hears Rolls horrified gasp as he heads into the back to try to do what he can to save what's left of him.  
________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Journal of Thomas Light  
  
It's been weeks since Mega-Man had been destroyed, and I have just finished building him a new body. He was basically the same design, but he now had a dark blue chestplate and a red ruby encrusted into his helmet which was pointed between his eyes.   
  
He was ready to be activated, but I hesitate. What if it happened again? I'd had to wipe Mega-Mans core memory banks because the data had been corrupted by the reprogramming. I needed to make sure it could never happen again, but if I'd been mistaken in my construction, I'd be unable to fix the problem.  
  
The only option was to go through every system in his body with careful precision and make sure there were no design flaws. I'm too old to do it however, my age is catching up with me and my hands are becoming more unsteady by the day. The only option available to me now was to let a machine take care of it... But it would take approximately fifty years for the cycle to complete, well outside my lifetime.  
  
But Mega-Man deserves a second chance at life, so I went through with it. Guiding a team of engineers to build the capsule that would hide him until he was ready, I ensured that Mega-Man would live again, even if he remembered nothing of Myself, Proto-Man or Roll.  
  
Roll however is still alive, the last robot remaining. I had given her a choice, she could join him in stasis, or she could live her life as a normal human, hiding the fact she was a robot. She elected for the latter, starting off on her own to begin a life somewhere she could live in peace.  
  
I hope that someone will find the capsule after the necessary time period has passed so that he can live again. After all he's done in his life, he above all deserves a second chance. My only regret is I cannot see him again, but at least I can die knowing that he will be reborn when the time is right. And he will be free of the worry of being tampered with like a machine, he will be truly alive with his own will and consciousness with nobody to guide him. I pray only that the world will allow him to know the peaceful life he never knew here...  
  
THE END 


End file.
